CAMH Survey Documents 50% Rise in Online Gambling Among Ontario Students
TL;DR — CAMH survey shows Ontario youth online gambling rose 50% from 8% in 2023 to 12%, with 20% participating in any form. The study of 11,108 students highlights ad exposure and access issues in a market with 2.6M accounts and $82B wagered. Experts call for stronger protections during brain development.
SCCG Take — Regulators must tighten age verification and ad controls to close youth access gaps as competitive markets expand.
The latest Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey conducted by Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, as reported by Gambling Insider, found one in 10 students reported betting on sports online at least once in the previous year. One in eight, or 12%, admitted to other types of online gambling. Overall, 20% said they partook in any type of gambling. Compared with the 2023 survey, online gambling reports grew from 8% to 12% — a 50% jump.
The rapid growth of online gambling among young people is really concerning. This raises important questions about how young people are able to access gambling products despite age restrictions, and about the influence that widespread gambling advertising and its normalization have on attitudes and behaviours. Stronger measures are needed to reduce youth exposure during a vulnerable time of brain development and better prevent the long-term impact of these trends.
Post-Regulation Trends in Youth Participation
The survey questioned 11,108 students in grades 7 to 12 across 246 schools and 42 school boards between December 2024 and June 2025. Ontario opened its online gambling market in 2022. The province now hosts almost 50 operators and over 80 platforms. In its 2024-25 fiscal year, 2.6 million active accounts wagered over $82 billion.
Hayley Hamilton, the survey’s lead investigator, said the results reflect a growing problem. “I just look at the numbers, and I think, ‘Oh boy. There is an issue,’” she said. “Increased accessibility, and the fact that gambling is online – it’s opened up to young people more than in the past.” The survey found rates for girls doubled from 3% to 6%. Over 80% of students reported seeing or hearing an online gambling ad in the previous month. Roughly 25% said they see ads every day.
Strengthening Safeguards in a Growing Market
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently fined operator Betty Gaming $120,000 after underage individuals created and funded accounts. AGCO CEO Karin Schnarr stated that the legal age requirement is one of the most basic and important safeguards in Ontario’s regulated gaming market. Unregulated sites and instances of parents opening accounts add layers of difficulty. Tighter verification, reduced advertising exposure, and clearer operator accountability will determine whether the regulated market can limit youth access without undermining its commercial scale.
Reporting: Gambling Insider
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
When a regulated market triples ads and platforms, minors find the cracks—and regulators play catch-up with fines after the fact.
We've been in enough market openings to know that velocity creates vulnerability. Ontario scaled fast—50 operators, $82 billion wagered—but youth exposure climbed just as fast. The 50% spike and daily ad saturation show verification gaps aren't edge cases; they're market-wide liabilities that can trigger crackdowns, reshape licensing, and reset compliance overnight.
- 12% of Ontario students now gamble online, up from 8% in 2023—20% gamble in any form
- Over 80% saw gambling ads monthly; 25% see them daily in a market with 2.6M active accounts
- AGCO fined Betty Gaming $120K for underage account creation, signaling enforcement tightening
SCCG angle: We've guided operators through every major market launch since the US opened. When youth access becomes a headline, age verification and ad compliance move from checkbox to boardroom. SCCG connects clients to the KYC, geolocation, and media partners who harden controls before regulators mandate them—and we've done it in every regulated jurisdiction we've entered.
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